KPK conducts search at Religious Affairs Ministry
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Fri, June 29 2012, 12:54 PM
Bambang Widjojanto: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Abraham Samad confirmed Friday that the commission's investigators were searching for evidence at the Religious Affairs Ministry's office related to allegations of graft in the ministry’s Koran printing project.
“Yes, we're conducting a search [at the ministry],” Abraham said.
The KPK has named a member of House of Representatives’ Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs, Zulkarnaen Djabar from the Golkar Party, a suspect in the case.
KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto said that investigators had issued a warrant to question Zulkarnaen.
"The KPK has collected evidence to corroborate the charges,” Bambang said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
The corruption allegedly took place under the watch of Deputy Health Minister Nasaruddin Umar when he was chief of the Religious Affairs Ministry’s Islamic Education Directorate, the KPK said earlier.
Previously, the Indonesian Budget Center, a budget watchdog organization, said the state might had suffered up to Rp54.4 billion (US$5.76 million) in losses due to alleged corruption surrounding the procurement project, which was paid for out of the ministry’s budget in 2011. (dmr)
